The Proposal
by Anna Hurley
Summary: James plans the perfect proposal but when things don't go exactly to plan Sirius decided to step in and drags Remus along for the ride. JL


The Proposal

James said it would be perfect. He had it all planned out, he'd booked Lily's favourite restaurant, reserved the best table in the house, he'd give her a bouquet of some of her favourite flowers; pink lilies. She'd smile, smell the scent she found so intoxicating and give him a kiss on the lips, he'd lead her inside and she would discover that the restaurant was completely empty, surrounded by candles and filled with her absolute favourite flowers; yellow roses. She'd look around in amazement, tell him that this display was completely unnecessary, after all it was only their anniversary, and he'd just smile back. Lily would sit down and all of her favourite foods would be served to her and just before dessert arrived James was going to get down on one knee and ask the girl he'd been in love with since he was eleven to marry him.

And she would say yes and together they would live happily ever after.

That was the plan.

It didn't exactly work out.

Sirius huffed under the invisibility cloak; he was getting agitated as he watched James sweating buckets, trying to work up the nerve to propose to his girlfriend. James had been going on about his perfect proposal for weeks but when the time had come to actually do the deed he'd been far too nervous and instead he and Lily had just eaten their dessert and gone home.

It was almost a week later, James had taken Lily out every night trying to propose. And every night his attempts got less and less romantic, not to mention that Lily was getting cranky with their frequent outings. They both worked fulltime for the Order, Lily had been on assignment today and the day before and Sirius could see from his hiding place that she was tired and just wanted to go home to bed.

Sirius waited impatiently behind the cash register, the place with a perfect view of the couple that was until one of the waiters stepped in front of him completely blocking his line of sight.

"You have got to be kidding me," Sirius muttered none too quietly causing the waiter to look over his shoulder; sure he had heard something, but seeing only the wall behind him he shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

Remus elbowed him in the ribs, "Keep it down Padfoot!"

Sirius threw him a look as he side stepped to the right until Lily and James came back into sight. After James's failure the first and second and then third night Sirius had taken to tailing him and Lily and trying not so subtly to get James to propose. Tonight he had arranged for a bottle of the restaurants finest and _strongest_ champagne to be sent over. James was on his third glass and but still was no where near ready to pull the ring out of his pants pocket and pop the question.

"We're going to die of old age at this rate." Sirius mumbled again.

Remus rolled his eyes but Sirius could tell he was just as impatient, after all Sirius had been dragging him along on his stakeouts for the past two nights and crouching in a corner under a cloak for three hours at a time was not as fun as it sounded.

"It is a slight bit ridiculous," Remus agreed.

"I know!" Sirius exclaimed.

The waiter in front of them jumped as he looked around for the source of the voice, his eyes wide, seeing nothing once again he let out a shaky breath and laughed a little at himself, "You're losing your mind Paul."

Once again Remus elbowed Sirius.

"Ow," he mumbled but he could quite keep the shock out of his voice. Paul raised his head again but this time he didn't turn around, he went back to his work.

"Can you imagine what life would have been like if he was like this at Hogwarts?" Remus asked.

"Quieter, I'd imagine."

"Wouldn't that have been something?" Remus mused; clearly imagining what life would have been like if James hadn't been quite so obsessed with the red head at school.

"He probably would have talked about her twice as more." Remus said suddenly.

"Would have that have even been possible?"

"Not sure, but he definitely would have tried." He replied.

Sirius looked back to James who had stuffed his hand into his pocket. For a moment, he got excited, he slapped Remus across the chest and pointed, James was going to do it! Prongs was finally going to do it!

"Go on Prongs!"

Sirius' heart fell for as soon as James pulled the ring from his pants pocket, he got too nervous once again and stuffed the small black box into his jacket. Sirius and Remus let out a collective sigh and they watched as Lily ran a hand threw her hair, yawned and finished the last drop of her tea. She was ready to leave. She said something to James and he nodded and pushed his chair out.

"Alright! That's it! I've had enough!" Sirius all but shouted throwing off the invisibility cloak. Remus was left dumfounded as Paul the waiter yelped, jumped about ten feet off the floor and tried to figure out how this strange man, who was currently marching across the restaurant came from.

Remus, deciding that it was best to follow his friend before he made a scene in the muggle restaurant, tossed off the cloak and jogged after Sirius. Paul who had now seen two men appear out of a solid wall, collapsed behind the counter.

James had just stood up when Sirius appeared next to him, hands on his hips and looking annoyed. He opened his mouth to ask him what the hell he was doing here but then Remus popped up behind him and he was too lost for words. He just stared at his two best mates, closing and opening his mouth.

Lily was the first to speak, "What are the two of you doing here?"

"For bloody years we've had to listen to you go on and on and on about how much you fancy her, years we had to listen to you go on and on and bloody on about how bloody fabulous she is and why oh why wont she go out without you. Then she bloody well says yes and we have to hear you go on and on about that! It's bleeding annoying Prongs!" Sirius shouted.

James was staring at him, his mouth open, his face colouring with embarrassment, Lily was looking between both of them trying to figure out just what the hell was going on and Remus stood behind Sirius, his face in his hands as he became very aware that everyone in the restaurant was now looking at them.

"Padfoot…" he tried to stop him but Sirius was on a roll now.

"And then we spent weeks and weeks listening to you go on about your "perfect plan" and you go ahead and ruin it yourself because you don't have enough balls to ask the girl you've been in love with for the better part of a decade to marry you!"

Lily's mouth dropped open at that and she looked at James, who had his head buried in his arms on the table surface, too embarrassed to look up.

"So now Remus and I have had to follow you around trying to send you helpful little hints to get on with it but you won't bloody do it! Have you any idea how uncomfortable it has been hiding under the bloody cloak for the last four nights? Merlin's spotty boxers Prongs you're a disgrace to the Marauder name! We've given you every opportunity to ask the girl so if you won't flipping do it…I will!" he shouted.

And with that statement Sirius reached into James' jacket pocket pulled out the small black box and dropped to one knee, "Lily Evans, will you please, for the love of all that is good and holy marry our," he reached back behind him grabbed Remus by the jumper and pulled him down next to him, "friend James so I can bloody well go home?"

It was now that James chose to lift his head; he looked fit to kill Sirius whereas Sirius was just determined to get his mate engaged. Remus looked sheepish next to him and was shooting James apologetic looks; however he remained down on one knee, along with Sirius waiting for Lily to answer.

James was about to berate them when Lily's voice called him away, "You…you've been trying to propose to me?

James snapped around to look at Lily, he had completely forgotten about her, he was so mad with Sirius and Remus that he hadn't even considered what she'd been thinking when Sirius had started his rant or when he had just proposed on James' behalf.

"W-well," he stuttered, Merlin James couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous, "Trying being the operative word." He ran his hand through his messy black hair, a nervous thick he had never quite managed to get rid of.

Lily smiled at him, "So, all the dinners, all the flowers, wine that's been you trying to ask me to marry you?"

He smiled sheepishly but he nodded anyway.

"Since when does James Potter get nervous?" she teased.

"Hey, I'm entitled to be nervous and scared it took seven years for you to agree to gout with me, Merlin only knew how many times I'd have to propose."

"Well, it looks like you wont have to at all." She told him and James panicked. Did that mean she didn't want to marry him? Ever? He swallowed back a lump in his throat as he loosened the tie he had been wearing.

"Well…" he said trying to keep the disappointment and hurt out of his voice but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because Lily had swung around in the chair and had started speaking to his friends who were still down on one knee holding out the antique engagement ring that had been in James's family for generations.

"Sirius, Remus," she giggled biting on her bottom lip as she smiled, "I would really love to marry your friend James."

"Really?" James squeaked; his voice had never been higher.

"Really?" Remus asked as Sirius pulled the ring out of the box, tossed the empty box over his head which hit Paul the waiter right between the eyes as he was pulling himself up from the ground having just barely recovered from his shock, and put the ring on Lily's hand.

"Wrong finger Sirius!" she laughed as tears welled in her eyes.

"I can't help it! I'm too excited, oh Merlin James you do it!"

James grabbed the ring from Sirius pushed them out of the way, got down on his knee and asked, "Lily Evans, you really want to marry me?"

"More then anything!"

"Brilliant" he grinned as he slid the ring on her finger. Lily jumped from her seat wrapped her arms around James' neck and kissed him. They barely heard the applause from everyone else in the restaurant.

Sirius high fived Remus and he jumped around thoroughly satisfied with himself and Remus although happy for his friends wondered how long they were going to have to listen to the story of Sirius proposing to Lily.

JLJLJLJLJLJLJLJLJLJL

A/N: I'm so obsessed with Harry Potter lately and this has been going around my head for awhile so I hope you all like it and please review.

Lots of love,

Anna/ WolfsbaneFlame156 (Pottermore)


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